Red Bluff Garden Club: Five favorite summer flowers

There really are flowers that love our extreme heat and are easy to grow. They actually thrive in our hot, dry climate! Gardening has become effortless using plants like these perennials. They withstand our drying north winds and soaring temps with ease.

Mystic Illusion is a fairly new dahlia that boasts of cheery yellow flowers that pop against its dark (nearly black) rich foliage. This striking combination is outstanding especially when used in beds and containers. Be sure to mulch to maintain moisture. It will be the envy of your neighbors!

Variegated society garlic 'Silver Lace' is a wonderful and dependable perennial that begins flowering in early spring until the first frost. The white grey-green twelve inch narrow leaves can be used in salads and in cooking. The flowers are clusters of small, trumpet shaped blossoms in violet. The plants grow in soft mounds which is a delight to most gardeners.

Salvia is a genus name for a group of more than 1,000 plants. Salvia, also known as sage, comes in a variety of colors reds, pinks, oranges, whites and purples. One of my favorites is the greggii sage which is often referred to as autumn sage. My 'Desert Blaze' has brilliant red flowers from spring to winter. To keep plants tidy, prune back woody growth and dead head the spent blooms.

I recently found a wonderful osteospermum, which is new to me, called 'Zion Red'. It's daisy like flowers are a distinctive burnt orange- maroon red color. With a long flowering period, compact, mounded plants and dry tolerance, this plant is ideal in beds, containers and hanging baskets. They can be seen flowering even during temperate winters!

Two years ago I bought a wonderful blanket flower (Gaillardia) named 'Mesa Yellow'. It is only a single color which is unusual in itself. It is a vibrant, lively yellow. It is extremely vigorous with early flowering and it self-seeds. It maintains its intense coloring with no fading in the scorching sun. It is truly a "must" for every garden.

Looking for a sun tolerant plant? Try one of these-they are guaranteed to please even the fussiest gardener!

Mark your calendars and save October 12 to attend our annual fall luncheon, "An Elegant Garden Party". The doors open at 9:30. There will be vendors, a silent auction , lunch and our sensational speaker Kate Gleim. Come join us for an afternoon of fun. Call 527-9403 or 384-1913 for tickets or get them at the House of Design.